Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Ensuring patient safety is a fundamental responsibility of nurses. Training methods that enhance nurses' adherence to patient safety principles are essential, especially in critical situations where face-to-face training may not be feasible. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of multimedia electronic training in improving nurses' adherence to patient safety principles. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was conducted in 2021 and 2022 with 60 nurses from a hospital in Tehran, Iran. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 30) and control (n = 30) groups. Both groups attended an initial face-to-face session to introduce the study objectives. The intervention group then received a multimedia electronic training program on patient safety principles over 6 weeks (six 2-h sessions) and had access to a web-based question-and-answer platform. The control group received no intervention. Data were collected using an individual characteristics questionnaire and a patient safety adherence scale (with reverse scoring) before and 14 days after training. Statistical analyses, including independent t-tests, paired t-tests, χ (2) tests, and Fisher's exact tests, were conducted using SPSS software (p < 0.05). RESULTS: Before the intervention, no significant difference was observed between the intervention and control groups in adherence scores (144.17 ± 17.43 vs. 143.13 ± 18.22, p = 0.823). However, after training, the intervention group had significantly higher scores than the control group (166 ± 0.439 vs. 144.50 ± 17.71, p < 0.001). Additionally, adherence scores in the intervention group improved significantly after training (p < 0.001), while no significant change was observed in the control group (p = 0.633). CONCLUSION: Multimedia electronic training is an effective approach to enhancing nurses' adherence to patient safety principles. This method is particularly beneficial in situations where traditional face-to-face training is unavailable. Integrating multimedia e-learning into nursing education programs is recommended to improve patient safety outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (No. IRCT20221129056661N1) on January 11, 2023.